Eternal Souls | Genesis | FILLED

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Lady Sabine

The Legendary Sabine-Toothed-Tiger
Original poster
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Preferred Character Gender
Genres
Fantasy is number one. Steampunk, sci-fi, alternate history, and everything else that isn't boringly realistic are also fine by me.
BASIS
"Our lives are not our own. From womb to tomb, we are bound to others. Past and present."

Six souls.

"And by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future "
Each are bound to each other as inevitably and inseparably as they are bound to their lives, past, present, and future.

"We cross and re-cross our old paths like figure-skaters"

The choices made in one will affect the fate of all to come. The art and music and tools created in one will reappear throughout the ages.

"Fear, belief, love are phenomena that determine the course of our lives. These forces begin before we are born and continue after we perish"

Hate can ripple across lives and poison souls. Help given in one life can be returned in another, debts repaid. Kindness can change the course of history. Love that is true and pure can transcend the boundaries of life and death.

"Death is only a door. When it closes, another opens"

The physical body changes, morphs. A man now may be a woman next. This life's slave may be the next life's emperor. A soldier can become a monk, or a princess a pauper. Birth is by chance. Destiny is the whim of fate. Emotions are what define a person's impact on the next generation.

"I believe we do not stay dead long"


IC THREAD




Hello and welcome. This RP will revolve around the journeys and lives of six souls as they shift, evolving from one incarnation to the next. They will discover numerous locations across multiple eras, inhabiting bodies of every possible form.
They do not remember their past lives, except perhaps as strange and vivid dreams. The talents they pick up in one life may become nothing more than a slight aptitude in the next. The knowledge of one life will be all but gone by the time the next appears.
What does remain is the personality. A soul loved in one life will be loving in the next. A soul scorned may become spiteful or vindictive. They will recognize each other to an extent; enemies in one life may be antagonistic in their next while lovers might experience an inexplicable attraction.
What they create in one life will most likely reappear in the next. The sword a soul crafts in the body of a smith may be used by another soul to kill a king in the next life. The song one lover writes for another will be recognized by that soul for eternity. The ideas of freedom and rights and responsibilities expressed in one life will be found in the next.

Evolution.


[/hr]​

So, you probably want to know what will be expected from you in this thread. Here's an idea of what I'm looking for:
  • Talent. Your writing should be good; length is irrelevant. Your characters should be well-rounded. You should be able to wield a plot without needing too much urging or begging. Keep things moving without hogging the spotlight. Don't stall, but give everyone time.​
  • Flexibility. I'm a big fantasy fan; not every scenario will have to be fantasy-based but some definitely will, and there might be sci-fi, steampunk, or period-esque segments. You should be able to play both males and females of varied cultures and sexualities. While your preferences will be noticed, everyone can't always have their first choice.​
  • Speed. Daily replies preferred, though I understand if you're busy on weekends or have practice until late every Tuesday and Thursday. I might put a word count cap to make sure the RP stayed fast-paced and active, if it gets too slow.​
  • Friendliness. This will probably involve a lot of OOC and general chatter, so if we could all get along and take the time out of our days to say hi, that would be great. ^^ I promise I don't bite.​



Oh and I almost forgot about
------------THE SOULS
Feel free to switch around traits. These are not hard-and-fast, merely suggestions. And, of course, things may change over time.

  • The Lion | @Ferril | Brave and Strong, but Selfish and Vain
  • The Hound | @kikinki | Loyal and Resilient, but Naive and a Follower
  • The Lamb | @Lady Sabine | Gentle and Wise, but Weak and Passive
  • The Doe | @Mehuh | Untamed and Quick, but Cowardly and a Loner
  • The Beaver | @LuluRS | Industrious and Intelligent, but Unmotivated and Agoraphobic
  • The Crow | @J_"Kraken" | Clever and Freespirited, but Greedy and Unlucky
[/hr][/hr]




If this sounds familiar to you, it's because the quotes and certain plot themes are from Cloud Atlas. ^^ All credit where due, especially the quotes.
 
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GENESIS
The first setting is the island-city of Phaerexes, loosely inspired by ancient Greece, Rome, & Persia.

The island is two miles long and a mile wide at its thickest point and is located off the Southestern corner of the cetral continent of Meus. It has a warm, semi-Mediterranean climate, suitable for the growth of olives and grapes. The entire island slopes off of one central hill, Temple Mount, where the six Phaerexian gods have their halls of worship.
Phaerexes was once sparsely populated and inconsequential island, until, according to legend, they were visited by a God. Astroph, God of Civilization, flew down from High Heaven to bless the island and her people. Once they had knowledge of the Five Tenets of Civilization, the Phaerexians began to conquer and enslave the lesser peoples around them, seeking to spread their primary God's influence around the world. In the five hundred and thirty-eight years since Astroph's Coming they have done an excellent job and the Phaerexian empire now spreads almost a thousand leagues West, including the coast of the southern continent Namir, and then upwards five hundred leagues into the cold and bigger Beartooth Fjords.
The five Tenets of Civilization are Order, Foresight, Industry, Cleanliness, and Art. They are what the Phaerexians believe separates them from the rest of the world which they disregard as "barbaric".
The social status is very rigid. Slaves cannot be freed save by serving Phaerexes as soldiers. Soldiers alone may also marry into any social class: the Plebes (peasant and laborers, above only slaves), the Bouge (land or business owners), or the Alphas (upper class nobility & priests).
Phaerexes is ruled by a Triumvirate. The Caesar, or General of the Entire Armed Forces, holds up the military end. The High Priest of Astroph is responsible for interpreting their God's will and the will of the people. Financial and other matters fall to the Chancellor, who is elected by the Alpha class.


The six Gods of Phaerexes are: Astroph, his two Favored Brothers, his two Wives, and the lesser brother.
  • Astroph is depicted as a fair-skinned, blonde man with white wings sprouting from his shoulder blades, who holds in one hand the Lyre of Culture and in the other the Scepter of Command, and wears a pure white toga with the hem dragging the ground. The priests of Astroph also wear the toga, but carry either Lyres or Lashes, depending on whether they follow the path of Art or Authority. The High Priest of Astroph sits on the Triumvirate.
  • His Warlike Brother is Merax, who is depicted as a fearsome warrior or gladiator, always shirtless to show his muscular physique. He carries the Gladius in his right hand and the Javelin in his left, showing Phaerexian domination both near and far. His priests maintain the Fighting Pits where weekly Gladiator Games are held, and are also heavily involved with the military. Highly ranked priests of Merax are known as Centurions.
  • His Industrious Brother is Odeoss, who is depicted as a powerfully build blacksmith wearing a leather apron. In his right hand is the hammer, used to forge the strong metal that Phaerexia was built on, while his left hand holds the Needle that represents the delicacy of craftsmanship required by a Civilized society. His priests oversee practically every craft industry, and getting temple-made weapons, clothing, or other goods is seen as a sign of great favor.
  • His Wife and Mother of His Children is Hephera, who is often shown as a homely middle-aged woman with wide hips and a gentle face. She carries the Bowl of Plenty in her left hand and the Swaddling Clothes of Prosperity in her right, representing her two most important tasks: to maintain the home and bear as many children for her husband as possible. Priestesses of Hephera are known as Mothers, and are Midwives and Healers for the wealthy, but also run charity for the poor. Temple slaves are often trained as battlefield medics and undertakers.
  • His Virgin Bride is Sapphaera, who is depicted as a teenaged girl, nubile and lovely and without flaw. She is pure and innocent, and represents the height of female beauty and compassion. She carries nothing with her, because it is not the role of young woman to labor. She exists as a nearly-unobtainable ideal. Her temple is small and has few Priestesses, but grows beautiful flowers that are said to bestow blessings of peace, beauty, and love on those that are gifted one.
  • The lesser brother of Astroph has no name. He is depicted as a simple young man of swarthy complexion and thick features, who wears the Shackles of Subservience and a Cloak of Shelter. This represents the exchange between slave and master: obedience for protection. His temple is small and run-down, and the priests that work there are all slaves themselves who are rewarded with priesthood for good behavior, but give up their own names and take on numbers. The Numbered Priests are responsible for the disciplining of disobedient slaves and for recording every new slave, every sale of a slave, and every slave's death.

PLOT ||

The temple slaves are growing restless. Rebellions have been tried before and failed before, with unspeakable tortures and horrible executions befalling those unfortunate enough not to perish in the fighting. However, with the Wars of Conquest heating up on the Northern frontier and soldiers leaving the city by the day, the time seems ripe for a rebellion. The only problem will be stirring up slaves and Plebes across the city... it will take a small but focused group to start the flame that will set the powder keg of tension alight.

SUGGESTED CHARACTERS ||
these characters can be changed, especially genders and backstories, so long as they can still do basically the same things. ^^
  • The Lion | The greatest Gladiator in all of Phaerexia, the Lion is a slave brought in from his homeland far away. He loathes slavery, loathes Phaerexia, and loathes the entire social city. He has become a symbol of strength and is sometimes considered a miracle from Merax himself. He can be the leader of a rebellion, if only he finds a plan and a support team.
  • The Hound | A city guard assigned to the temples, the Hound is from a lower class family. He is a good and moral man, who believes in the current social system only because he has never dreamed any bigger. He could be a great ally or a great enemy to the liberation movement.
  • The Lamb | An Oracle in the temple of Astroph, she is blessed with the ability to see brief glimpses into the future... apparently. Some think she's a fake, but her predictions have been uncannily accurate so far. So far she has never dreamed of a different world, but when she does, she has the influence and the mind to make it work.
  • The Doe | Daughter of one of the city's most important men, the Doe is said to be as beautiful as Sapphaera herself and twice as clever. She loathes the luxury and privilege she is surrounded by on a daily basis and will do whatever it takes to escape her arranged marriage. She has seen the Oracle several times, and the two of them are near as close to friends as a Slave and Alpha can be. The Doe has the spark to start the rebellion, though once she sets the city on fire she cannot put it out.
  • The Beaver | A temple slave of Odeoss, the Beaver has spent long years laboring over the forge. He is content enough with his life, for he has been treated well and has everything he needs, but recent dreams have started to trouble him. He dreams of a hammer that will smash chains to thousands of little pieces, and knock over the only world he knows. The thoughts of crafting such a weapon frighten him, but they thrill him as well.
  • The Crow | Somewhat outside of the current social order, the Crow is an opportunist. He goes wherever the profits do- if the rebellion draws him in, he could be a valuable soldier or spy or conspirator. But if the priests and Alphas pay more, there is the risk that he could be a traitor. He will do whatever thinks will bring him the greatest fortune.
 
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First choice is the Crow, second is the Hound (because Sandor Clegane is awesome).
 
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"A hound will die for you, but never lie to you. And he'll look you straight in the face. Look around, they're all liars here, and each of them better than you."

- Sandor Clegane (felt fitting)
 
It's definitely not coincidence that I went with Hound for that soul. XD
Also "dog" sounds demeaning and people want wolves to be proud leaders. But, y'know, also Sandor Clegane because he's awesome.
 
Wolf has a lone hunter connotation to it as well; it could go either way, really. Definitely a low blow to call the soul a dog, unless you're Sandor Clegane.
 
Indeed. I wanted to try and keep the right tone.

And, speaking of tones, you guys feel free to recruit. We only need three more people and I would love to get things rolling quickly so we don't lose any steam. :D
 
>.> …Cloud Atlas is probably one of my most favourite movies. With a plot inspired by it, how could I say no?

First choice would be the Beaver, and if nobody comes to claim it (which is unlikely, because this plot is awesome) I could double up with the Lion if needed.
 
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I really hope no one will have to double. XD Two more... we can do it!
 
Only one more now! We can do eeeeet!
 
Great, now Cloud Atlas has been bumped up on my 'not now' list of movies.
 
I'm going to re-watch it pretty soon. XD It's one of those movies you have to watch again and again to catch everything.
 
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While we obviously can't get done before we get someone to play the Lion, we all should start thinking about the relationships between our characters. It would make sense if they all knew at least two or three of the others in some way, so that we wouldn't have a bunch of complete strangers coming together and trying to change their world. ^^
 
Well, The Beaver would probably know The Hound in some way. Maybe they're not entirely close, but it's good to know the man/woman who has a hand in making your weapons/armour.

And since they are both work in the temples, perhaps The Lamb would be an acquaintance as well?
 
That all sounds good to me. ^^ Let's just hope for a Lion so we can do some real planning...
 
Back up people, the King of the Jungle has arrived! Lol.

I figure with no one else calling the Lion I'll go ahead and throw my lot in for the position.
 
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Awesomesauce! Ok, so, my character's name is Cassiphaea. For her relationships with other characters, I'm thinking...

  • She has yet to meet the Lion, but has heard about her prowess in the Pits. Soon she will be called upon to foretell the gladiator's future, and there they can talk and exchange ideas about freedoms, injustices, and rebellion.
  • The Hound is an acquaintance of hers through proximity; they have spoken before about the weather and what the upcoming festivals will be like and such, but don't know much else about each other.
  • The Doe and her are old friends, with Cassi having foretold many things about the young Alpha's future. They meet up over a meal once a week or so, and Cassiphaea listens eagerly to her notions about social order and reform.
  • The Beaver is responsible for refitting Cassi's signature silver collar twice every year. They see each other perhaps once a month and exchange some words, though they are not close friends. Cassi senses something about him, but hasn't cared to look close enough to figure out what it is.
  • The Crow is the only stranger to Cassi, but she has seen his face in a dream before. She isn't sure whether to fear or welcome his presence, which she sense will signal a great change in the way of the world.

If we haven't already discussed the relationship between our characters, feel free to PM me so we can refine things. ^^
 
Don't be shy, guys. ^^ Let's figure out how our characters are going to know each other so we can get this show on the road.
 
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